Which team(s) will switch from Western to Eastern Division?
- Thread starter MTsumner92
- Start date
I think they made a good argument for the 4 pods on 107.5 today. That give you something to shoot for. If we have 2 divisions with 8 teams. It sux for the very bottom of the division
If they stay with 2 division. I think they bring Bama and Auburn to the east and move Mizz to the west.
I'm leaning more toward this now.
The pod that makes most sense to me is Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Kentucky or switch out Kentucky with Vanderbilt.
Alabama is going to hold on to Tennessee regardless of location and make sure their pod has Auburn and Tennessee always.
I'm still hoping we could find a North Carolina and Virginia team to get into the mix to offset Texas and Oklahoma.
That would satisfy Alabama's need to play Tennessee every year.
With the full expectation that we might have even more teams join the future... I fully think they start to embarrass a pod system so that geographic rivals would remain intact.
Nothing against Arkansas and Texas A&M but it's hard to build a rivalry when you are that far apart geographically.
I've built up a lot of good friends with Florida. I would hate missing out on that game every year. If we don't get to play Florida every year, we better get to play 10AhC every year. I'm good with changing out Vandy or Kentucky.
Now that Kentucky has had our number for ~6 years... We can't stop playing them every year until we've even the field.
Pod 1:
Carolina
Kentucky
UGA
Fla
Pod 2:
Ala
Auburn
Tenn
Vandy
Pod 3:
LSU
Ark
Ole Miss
Miss St
Pod 4:
A&M
Texas
Oklahoma
Mizzou
This leaves the most rivals intact.
Carolina
Kentucky
UGA
Fla
Pod 2:
Ala
Auburn
Tenn
Vandy
Pod 3:
LSU
Ark
Ole Miss
Miss St
Pod 4:
A&M
Texas
Oklahoma
Mizzou
This leaves the most rivals intact.
You know Bama is going to push it so they get their way and still play Tennessee every year....
They ruined it by suggesting their should be a four-team playoff for the SEC title. Good lord, the chances of us winning a division with Florida and UGA are slim. Why any Gamecock fan would think giving UF and UGA extra games is beyond me. Do we enjoy being the bottom?
I like your pods but the SEC will find a way to let Auburn and Georgia play annually. That series is one of the longest in college football.
Move Alabama and Auburn east. If you do that, there will be no need of permanent crossover opponents. That is if you keep two divisions. You could have seven division games, two or three crossover opponents and two or three non conference games.
Having the 4 pods doesn't mean it will be a 4 team playoff.
Honestly that's actually a bad idea forcing another game like that add the potential for more injuries. If there ever was a tie on which team would go to the SECCG; it would be similar to how it is now with the ranking left to the media.
I will be surprised, though not shocked, if A&M and Texas wind up together.
The NC and VA teams are very entrenched in the ACC. Why would they move to the SEC?
Money simply put. I'm not saying it would be easy.
I'm still taken back that this Texas and Oklahoma thing is happening so quickly.
I would have never imagined Oklahoma to leave Oklahoma State behind.
Once you open your eyes and see how this is all getting pieced together... it's a chess game on make sure that future money still continues to come in.
The chess board I was looking since Texas A&M and Missouri joined was much smaller until last week.
Now I'm seeing possibly actions as Pac12 tries to protect itself and ACC and B1G start to plan a way to counter this new shift.
One thing B1G has always had over the SEC was raw revenue dollars coming to some of their schools like Ohio State and Michigan. Texas and Oklahoma joining the SEC along with the other top dollars from most of the other SEC schools puts them on par with the cash machines EVEN before we start talking about TV rights/deals.
Now that you have seen how the B1G will bend and break it's own rules to get Ohio State a shot at the playoffs... I don't expect the SEC to wait around for any conference to make the next moves in conference alignment.
Im starting to entertain the idea of pods. 4 major conferences with 4 pods, essentially gives you a 16 team playoff with the eventual champion of each conference squaring off for the title.
But regardless of how it works, it’s the beginning of the end of the NCAA which I believe to be the best long term outcome.
The pod idea is growing on me. I actually think it would work out well. It will be difficult to maintain every rivalry though.
That's too sane of an idea to do for all the conferences for everyone to follow.
If they did do that though; then you are going to have the same argument people have about certain NFL divisions being extremely weak... Like a wildcard barely getting in with only 4-5 losses and someone making the playoffs with a losing record.
Possibly but I could imagine other additions/changes that would hurt us in recruiting more.
The best teams can pull good recruits from any state. It could be a bonus for the recruit knowing that they could play in their home crowd 1-2 times during their college career on a team that is doing well.
If you build the facilities; have a path for them to go the NFL if they want it, and have a coaching staff to bring it all together... they will come regardless.
Regarding Texas A&M, it’s also hard to call it a rivalry when you’ve never beaten them.
I agree with you. I prefer 4 pods over 2 divisions, but the 107.5 crew couldn't contain themselves from adding another layer of playoffs.
No. There MUST be multiple at large spots. Georgia and Florida could both very easily be top 5 teams in the same season. No reason they both shouldn't make a 16 team playoff.
How any Gamecock fan think a playoff should be done by conference champion is beyond my understanding. Clemson would have 30+ playoff appearance before we make our first, maybe. It could be worse.
Under a 16 team playoff, Clemson will make the playoff every year, but at least they wouldn't cakewalk into the Final Four like they do now. The only reason I support expanding the playoff is that any system will be better for USC than the present one.
Started playing them for the first time in 2014 and only has had a winning season 3 times since then. Lost to Citadel and App State during that time as well. Don't think starting a new rivalry was on anyone's mind since 2014.
Agreed. Perhaps 1 permanent opponent from another pod?
Without getting emotional.....If we go to a 9 game sec schedule.....this really hurts South Carolina more than anyone due to us playing Clemson. If the ACC comes calling, Tanner must entertain the idea. Would Gamecock fans go for it?
I think there will be plenty of cross-pod permanent opponents. One good thing about pods, and only 3 other opponents in your pod, is that it gives you a lot of flexibility with scheduling the other 5 or 6 conference games. Everybody may end up with a permanent opponent or 2.
I’d say it would put Georgia & Ga Tech and Louisville vs Kentucky and Florida vs Miami/FSU in jeopardy just as much, but I do get your point.
It certainly could put us and our fans in a predicament: Do you love the conference so much to give up the Clemsux game or does it mean so much that you possibly leave just to make it feasible to continue the series?
The most logical answer is fear of getting passed over in a football super conference. Let’s say for the sake of argument the SEC wasn’t done expanding and the conference purged Clemmons, Miami, Fla State and Va Tech and expanded to 20 teams. How relevant would the ACC be in football at that point?
Now I didn’t list any NC teams but if a significant part of the ACC bolts, they’ll be left like the Big 12 is right now.
I like the idea of the pods. Staying with two divisions, now only bigger would mean more conference opponents we would only face once a decade. This would go toward trying to face every team in the conference at least once in a player's career.
However, if they keep doing the permanent cross-pod opponents, we would still be facing a similar issue, but on a smaller scale.
However, if they keep doing the permanent cross-pod opponents, we would still be facing a similar issue, but on a smaller scale.
One of the plans I saw had 3 games vs teams in your pod and the 2 each from the other 3 pods. The rotation for playing every team is on a much shorter cycle.
This is the plan I like. But adding in permanent cross-pod opponents would hamper that. I say if Bama, Tennessee, Georgia and Auburn all have to have their permanent rivalries, then put them all in a pod together and let that be the end of it.
The 2 Alabama schools is my guess. My question is whether Mizzou stays in the East. 4 team pods makes more sense. Forces heavy cross pod play. TV will love that.
A) Fla, Ga, SC, Tenn B) Ala Aub, Vandy, LSU C) Miss, Miss st, Kentucky, Mizzou D) Arky, A&M, Tex, Okla Would work.
Except A&M doesn’t want to be in same pod as Texas. Swap Arky and everyone is happy
so how do they move two teams to the east and one to the west and keep things equal? One would have to assume Texas and Oklahoma will be in the west. The four pod scenario sounds like the most reasonable
